FREE Dog Training Applied Learning Theory Questions and Answers Flashcards

A dog stops jumping on guests after the behavior consistently fails to produce attention. Which principle best explains this change?

Answer: Extinction

Extinction occurs when a previously reinforced behavior no longer produces the reinforcing consequence, causing the behavior to decrease over time.

During training, a handler delivers a treat 0.5 seconds after the dog sits. What learning concept makes this timing critical?

Answer: Temporal contiguity

Temporal contiguity refers to the closeness in time between a behavior and its consequence, which strengthens the association between the two.

A dog that was trained to sit in the living room fails to sit when asked at the park. What does this demonstrate?

Answer: Lack of stimulus generalization

The dog has not generalized the behavior to new environments, meaning the cue has only been associated with the original training context.

Which schedule of reinforcement produces the highest and most consistent response rate once established?

Answer: Variable ratio

Variable ratio schedules reinforce after an unpredictable number of responses, producing high, steady response rates that are highly resistant to extinction.

A trainer pairs a clicker sound with food delivery multiple times before using the clicker in training. What is being established?

Answer: A conditioned reinforcer

By repeatedly pairing the clicker with food, the previously neutral sound becomes a conditioned reinforcer that can strengthen behavior on its own.

A dog begins barking more intensely for several days after its owner stops giving attention for barking. What phenomenon is occurring?

Answer: Extinction burst

An extinction burst is a temporary increase in the frequency or intensity of a behavior when reinforcement is first withheld.